Detroit — It took long enough for Pistons rookie Isaiah Livers to make his NBA debut. A foot injury kept him sidelined for most of the season, but when he was finally healthy enough to play, it was just a one-game appearance, before he had a setback.
When Livers rejoined the Pistons for a recent three-game road trip beginning against the Charlotte Hornets last week, he was ready for the call. It didn’t take him long to make an impression, hitting a couple of 3-pointers in the first half, his first points of his NBA career.
It was a long time coming, but Livers, who played at Michigan, had prepared himself mentally for the spotlight.
“I told everybody that day, if I get in, my first shot is going in, no matter what,” Livers said. “So, I was already confident from the start. I already saw it going in.”
At 6-7, he has the size to play either forward spot, but with a late start to the season, he’s having to make up for some of that lost time. His first game was Dec. 16 at Indiana, and with only five minutes of playing time, it’s hard to get a good grasp of everything that’s going on.
It was a long way from being drafted No. 42 overall and working to rehab from foot surgery last year and then trying to make an impact as a rookie. He worked feverishly on rehabbing with the Pistons and the Motor City Cruise in the G League.
Missing most of the season wasn’t originally in his plan, but the NBA has a way of injecting some reality into the dream scenario. Livers thought he might be ready for the start of the season, but the foot didn’t respond like they wanted.
“At first, I was like, ‘Nah, I’ll be back. I’ll try to get back by Summer League.’ I was a young gun just talking, and I talked with the doctors and my agents and they were saying it’s one of those injuries where it’s better safe than sorry,” Livers said. “I kind of like this routine. It was hard because you’re a competitor and you want to play, especially as a rookie, but I had an idea when they told me.”
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Joining a team in the middle of the season isn’t easy. The rotations are pretty set, and the rest of the roster already has formed their bonds, but it wasn’t as difficult for Livers to blend with the group because he had been around the team.
“Obviously, I probably practiced twice or three times totally with them, and then I get the call to come out to Charlotte to come hoop with the Pistons,” Livers said. “I watched enough film, so when I got with them, they knew what I could do and I knew what they would do, but obviously playing with them more is going to open up a lot more doors to opportunity, chemistry and obviously a brotherhood.
“They did a really good job when I was away just to keep me in the loop, just texting me to ask how I’m doing. Little stuff like that goes a long way.”
The speed of the NBA is sometimes the biggest hurdle for rookies to adjust to, but with his time playing with the Cruise, he had an idea of what to expect, so getting in an NBA game wasn’t as much of an adjustment for him.
“To be honest with you, watching (from the bench) kind of slowed the speed down for me, and playing in the G League and playing a couple games with them is actually faster than NBA,” he said. “I was ready. I felt the speed. My conditioning feels good and my body feels good, and I just credit the guys in the training room for getting me ready.”
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With the Pistons taking a good look at their young players for the remainder of the season, it’s a good opportunity for Livers to make an impression and to get a better feel for the pace and feel of the NBA game.
Livers played in four straight games and he posted five points in Friday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, and every appearance gives him a little boost.
“These last 18 games will be nice for him to play,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He was a little more relaxed in the last game against Indiana, and this is what these games are about.”
Rod.Beard@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard